Dubai: The first solar-powered plane attempting to circumnavigate the globe will take off from Abu Dhabi next year as part of a new partnership between aircraft developers Solar Impulse and UAE renewable energy firm Masdar.
The flight, which will depart from Abu Dhabi in March 2015, aims to complete 25 flying-days around the globe before touching down in Abu Dhabi again in July.
The announcement was made in New York during a UAE reception on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly attended by Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Didier Burkhalter, President of the Swiss Confederation.
Dr Sultan Ahmad Al Jaber, Minister of State and Chairman of Masdar, said: “Abu Dhabi, Masdar and Solar Impulse have in common a pioneering spirit, a long-term vision and a desire to explore new horizons. We share a commitment to foster the development of technological advances in alternative energy sources in order to contribute to a cleaner, more sustainable future.”
Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg, the Swiss co-founders and pilots of Solar impulse — the first aircraft able to fly day and night without fuel or emissions — will take turns flying the aircraft known as Solar Impulse 2 during the first-of-its-kind journey.
“This well-matched partnership will showcase Abu Dhabi as a centre of expertise when it comes to renewable energy and, at the same time, Solar Impulse will demonstrate the far-reaching applications of clean energy during the first solar-powered flight around the world,” said Piccard.
Borschberg said, “We have chosen this location as being the best and most suitable departure and return point for the round-the-world tour, due to its climate, infrastructure and commitment to clean technologies.”
Solar Impulse 2 will arrive by cargo in Abu Dhabi to coincide with the World Future Energy Summit and Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week taking place from January 19-22 next year.
Once the plane arrives, Dr Nawal Al Hosany, Director of Sustainability at Masdar, told Gulf News that it will be assembled in the UAE and tested before the actual journey.
The record attempt will see the pilots chart a 35,000-kilometre flight path.
The plane will derive its energy from solar rays captured by 17,000 panels on a wingspan that is wider than that of a Jumbo 747 passenger jet.
“The airplane will fly over the Arabian Sea, India, Myanmar, China, the Pacific Ocean, the United States, the Atlantic Ocean, and southern, Europe or North Africa, before closing the loop by returning to Abu Dhabi in July 2015. The journey is expected to take around 25 flight days, spread across three or four months,” said Dr Nawal.
Some flights over the Pacific and the Atlantic will last five to six days, a feat made possible by Solar Impulse 2’s ability to fly without fuel.
During Solar Impulse 2’s stay in Abu Dhabi, school visits and educational workshops will be held, during which students and others will be able to learn about the cutting-edge technologies designed to make the round-the-world flight possible.
The arrival of Solar Impulse 2 in Abu Dhabi, officials with Masdar say, will act as a local and regional catalyst and leave a lasting legacy, inspiring Emirati youth to take an interest in aeronautics, science, clean technology and renewable energy.
The choice of Abu Dhabi to host the start and end of the history-making flight reinforces the emirate’s status as a pioneer in solar energy innovation and as a global leader in the drive to develop and deploy effective clean energy solutions that meet the needs of people, while at the same time minimising long-term effects on the planet.
During each flight on the trip, Piccard and Borschberg will have access to six oxygen bottles, a parachute, a life raft, and food and water rations for a week.
Dr Nawal said the first-of-its-kind flight can open the door to endless possibilities.
“A successful solar powered flight around the world could have a huge impact not just on the future of flight but on the future of transportation altogether. It would also be an important step in bringing solar power to people.”
Dr Nawal said the flight will also offer valuable data and information that will hopefully lead to information and material that will then be used to assess improvements to the technology, including battery storage and efficiency.
